Structure Design Grid

[Suncad]

Hi again,

Back here with a new question...

When using the "Strcture Design" mode (to design frames mostly), I usually chose to create a 3D Grid (with the grid tool) to apply then steel shapes (using the shape tool). This is a great feature to design quickly simple frames. BUT :

The 3D shapes inserted in the product with the grid as "skeleton" are not upgradale : if there is a change of specifications, for example extend the height from 1200mm to 1300mm, I can change the grid easily by moving defining planes, but the shapes that were inserted won't follow the upgraded grid...

Does anyody have a clue how to keep the link between the grid and the shape ? I don't see the interest of this whole Catia module if the CAO is dead and non-adjustable...

 

[Suncad]

Okay......

There was a checkbox to check in Tool>>Infrastructure>>Infrastructure Part>> Keep external references

WHY is this option even disableable ????

Sorry for the useless post. (Though I've been looking for a solution for 2 hours...)

 

[KevinDeSmet]

Yep! You struggle for hours, then decide to post a thread and find it 5 minutes later. I know the feeling

As per your question, well one example is a company I worked at that used CATIA with ENOVIA VPM and their product is trams, trains and such. Really big assemblies many, many levels down. To keep things easy for all of the engineers the use of external references is forbidden for most assemblies (defined as Structure Exposed) meaning the assembly is configurable in VPM. It could be a real pain to do this and keep all of the external references in working order, I'm not even 100% sure if it is supported! Maybe only at designated Product Root Classes (PRCs)

Anyway not to bore you with the details, but basically sometimes yes companies will have the policy to turn it off. Why this is off BY DEFAULT though, now I agree, that's silly